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Patna High Court

Rajo DeviversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The Court granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to bond, sureties, and verification of her antecedent.

Summary

Rajo Devi was implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for the alleged recovery of 62.7 litres of liquor from two motorcycles, one of which she owned. She was not arrested at the spot and no liquor was found in her immediate possession, asserting that she was unaware of any misuse of her vehicle. The petitioner, represented by counsel, sought anticipatory bail, emphasizing her clean antecedent and lack of direct involvement. The State opposed the bail, arguing the seriousness of the offence. The High Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail subject to a bond of Rs. 500 and two sureties, with a condition that the trial court verify her antecedent and possibly revoke the bail if any prior case is discovered.

Issues considered

  • Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 482(2) of the BNSS in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act
  • Whether ownership of the seized vehicle alone suffices to implicate the petitioner in the offence

Legislation cited

  • Bihar Excise Act — s. 30(a)
  • Bihar Negotiable Securities Act (BNSS) or Criminal Procedure Code — s. 482(2)

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • excise law
  • liquor seizure
  • vehicle ownership
  • clean antecedent
  • Section 30(a) Bihar Excise Act
  • Section 482(2) High Court powers

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.45884 of 2026
                        Arising Out of PS. Case No.-212 Year-2025 Thana- BIRPUR District- Supaul
                 ======================================================
                 Rajo Devi W/O Suresh Paswan R/O Vill.- Jogbani Tola Manpur, P.S.-
                 Gamhariya, Dist.- Madhepura.

                                                                                    ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                        Versus
                 The State of Bihar Patna

                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :        Mr.Naresh Kumar Mehta
                 For the Opposite Party/s :        Mr.Suresh Prasad Singh
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   09-07-2026               1.    Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and

                   learned A.P.P. for the State.

                             2.    The petitioner apprehends her arrest in a case

                   registered for the offences punishable under Section 30(a) of the

                   Bihar Excise Act.

                             3.    Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and is a woman

                   allegation is of recovery of 62.7 litres of liquor from two

                   motorcycles.

                             4.    Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the

                   petitioner was not arrested from the spot as such nothing was

                   recovered from her conscious possession and she came to be

                   implicated based on the fact that she is owner of one of the

                   seized motorcycles. It is next submitted that no prudent person
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.45884 of 2026(2) dt.09-07-2026
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          would use her own vehicle for committing an occurrence and

          thus would create evidence against herself and hence would get

          implicated, it is further submitted that petitioner was completely

          unaware that Suman would misuse the vehicle in the manner as

          alleged, who was also apprehended from the spot along with

          Mithilesh and Suman. It is also submitted that it is not the case

          of the prosecution that they saw a woman fleeing from the place

          of occurrence.

                   5.     Learned A.P.P. for the State opposes the prayer for

          anticipatory bail of the petitioner.

                   6.     Considering the submissions made by the learned

          counsel for the petitioner, the petitioner above-named, in the

          event of her arrest or surrender within a period of six weeks

          from today, be released on Provisional anticipatory bail on

          furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 500/- (Rupees Five Hundred) with

          two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the

          learned trial court where the case is pending/successor court in

          connection with Birpur P.S. Case No. 212 of 2025, subject to the

          conditions as laid down under Section 482(2) of the BNSS.

                   7.     It is made clear that thereafter the learned Trial Court

          shall verify the criminal antecedent of the petitioner and in the

          event if it is found that petitioner has antecedent of even one case

          then it would be presumed that petitioner, for the purposes of
              Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.45884 of 2026(2) dt.09-07-2026
                                                          3/3




                        seeking anticipatory bail, had concealed her antecedent before this

                        Court, as such, the provisional anticipatory bail order shall not be

                        confirmed, but after verification if it is found that petitioner is a

                        person with clean antecedent in that event the provisional

                        anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.



                                                  (Satyavrat Verma, J)
Sumit/-

U         T


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